Staff Software Engineer - Development [CPaaS, Data Platform, Database Internals,12 -16 years experience]

Nutanix, Inc.; Bengaluru; Hybrid; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Nutanix, Inc. is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to lead the design of scalable data platform foundations for on-prem and hybrid-cloud environments.

You will optimize I/O, memory, DB engines, and messaging while mentoring engineers and guiding architectural choices. This role emphasizes open-source collaboration, cross-functional leadership, and hands-on contribution to high-availability data services in a globally distributed team.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience building and scaling large-scale software with a focus on distributed systems and database internals.
• Expert-level proficiency in Go, C++, or Rust; comfortable using Python to automate and bridge services.
• Deep understanding of indexing, storage engines, data models, and query optimization.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design and optimize core data platform components for on-prem, hybrid-cloud, and service provider environments.
• Lead performance optimization across I/O, memory, DB engines, and messaging.
• Provide technical leadership, design reviews and mentorship across the CPaaS team.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-impact data platform solutions.

Skills

Distributed systems

Database internals

Go

C++

Rust

Python

Tools

Kubernetes

Apache Kafka

NATS

Neo4j

Dgraph

Job description

Hungry, Humble, Honest, with Heart.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a world-class systems architect to join the Nutanix Cloud-PaaS (CPaaS) data services team as a Staff Software Engineer. This is a high-visibility technical leadership role designed for an engineer who thrives at the intersection of deep database internals and scalable distributed systems. If you are ready to lead the design of platform foundations while championing an "Open Source First" philosophy, this is your next challenge.

About Team

At Cloud Platform as a Service, our core mission is to architect, develop, and maintain a robust, enterprise-grade data and compute platform. This platform is meticulously crafted using cutting-edge open-source technologies, providing the foundational infrastructure upon which numerous product engineering teams at Nutanix build and deliver their exceptional solutions to our valued customers.

Your Role

• Architect & Innovate: Lead the design, implementation and optimization of core data platform components for on-prem, hybrid-cloud enterprise & service provider environments. You will ensure our systems are resilient, performant, scalable and easily "day-2 manageable" across diverse customer data centers, including air-gapped and highly regulated environments.
• Performance Engineering: Dive deep into I/O stacks, memory management, DB engines, distributed messaging stack, and data models to squeeze every ounce of performance out of the hardware.
• Technical Leadership: Be a force multiplier, influence the technical roadmap, conduct high-stakes design reviews, and mentor engineers across the CPaaS team.
• Customer-Led Engineering: Develop a deep intuition for user challenges to build high-impact solutions that deliver immediate value. By collaborating with cross-functional leads, you will ensure our data platform remains a pragmatic, reliable foundation that solves real-world problems without compromising on long-term architectural excellence.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as a critical escalation point for cross-functional teams, providing the deep architectural insights and hands-on debugging necessary to resolve complex technical blockers and accelerate delivery cycles across the organization.
• Open Source Leadership: Identify internal data platform technologies & contributions suitable for open-sourcing to establish Nutanix as a thought leader.
• Planning & Prioritization: Collaborate with engineering leads to define the high impact initiatives and quarterly priorities. You will ensure the CPaaS data services roadmap balances immediate customer needs with long-term architectural sustainability and technical debt reduction.
• Work in a geographically distributed team setup.

What will you bring?

• Deep Systems Expertise: 12+ years of experience building and scaling large-scale software, with a specialized focus on distributed systems and database internals. You should have a proven track record of solving complex problems at the infrastructure layer.
• Polyglot Programming: Expert-level proficiency in Go, C++, or Rust. You are also comfortable using Python to automate, prototype, and bridge services within a cloud-native ecosystem.
• Data Engine Mastery: A deep, internal understanding (indexing, storage engines, data models, query optimization) of diverse data architectures:

• Analytical & Time-Series: ClickHouse, Prometheus, VictoriaMetrics.
• Relational: PostgreSQL, MySQL.
• Graph: Neo4j, Dgraph.
• Messaging: NATS, Apache Kafka.

• Cloud-Native Foundations: A solid architectural understanding of Kubernetes and container orchestration, specifically regarding stateful workloads and high-availability data services.
• Operational Excellence: Experience operating distributed "Big Data" systems in a resource constrained on-prem or hybrid cloud environment. You understand the nuances of observability, backup/restore, disaster recovery, and zero-downtime migrations.
• AI-Augmented Engineering: A forward-thinking passion for integrating AI tools into the SDLC. You have experience using AI for code generation, automated design reviews, and accelerating the path from "concept to commit."

The 'Nutanix' Mindset:

A self-starter who can think big (architecting for the future), start small (delivering iterative value), and make it happen (driving projects to completion).

Work Arrangement

Hybrid: This role operates in a hybrid capacity, blending the benefits of remote work with the advantages of in-person collaboration. In locations where our workplace policy applies (i.e. San Jose, Durham, Mexico City, Bangalore, Pune, Hoofddorp, Belgrade, Barcelona, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo), employees are expected to work onsite a minimum of 3 days per week to foster collaboration, team alignment, and access to in-office resources. Workplace type may vary based on location and team requirements. Please speak with your recruiter for details. Additional team-specific guidance and norms will be provided by your manager.